•Impact on organic farming assessed on soil and crop productivity for 7-year.•Crop yields under integrated and organic farming was similar but superior to inorganic.•Most of the soil quality ...parameters under organic and integrated were statistically similar.•Soil microbial biomass carbon was higher under organic than other farming practices.•Most of the produce quality parameters of tomato and carrot were better under organic than inorganic.
Low use of chemicals in agriculture, plentiful availability of biomass and manure and favorable climatic conditions offer the opportunity for organic farming in eastern Himalayan region of India. Thus, field experiments were conducted in seven consecutive years from 2005 - 06 to 2011 -12 under a raised and sunken bed (RSB) land configuration (0.3–0.4m height, 2m width, 7m length) in lowland at Meghalaya (950m above sea level), India. The RSBs were constructed to facilitate drainage and accommodate vegetables in lowland conditions. The objectives of the study were (i) to identify suitable crops and cropping sequences for organic food production, and (ii) to assess long term impacts of organic farming on soil and produce quality. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) – vegetable sequences on raised beds and rice (varieties) – fallow (no crop) sequences on sunken beds were assessed under four farming practices in fixed plots. The four farming practices were control (only in-situ recycling of 2/3rd crop residues), organic (farmyard manure and rock phosphates), inorganic (mineral fertilizer) and integrated farming 50/50 organic and inorganic fertilizer sources (INF). Results indicated that seven-year average productivity of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and carrot (Daucus carota L.) under organic (22.1, and 10.1Mgha−1, respectively) and INF (21.9, and 10.4Mgha−1, respectively) were significantly higher than both inorganic (17.6, and 7.1Mgha−1, respectively) and control (3.77, and 3.1Mgha−1, respectively). However, yields of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were the highest under INF (14.4 and 8.7Mgha−1, respectively) followed by organic (13.9 and 7.5Mgha−1, respectively). Considering farming practices, INF (3.99Mgha−1), organic (3.85Mgha−1) and inorganic (3.81Mgha−1) had the similar rice productivity in sunken beds but all had significantly higher yield than that of control. After seven years, the soil available N on raised and sunken beds under organic farming was 13.3 and 4.36% higher than that under inorganic and 20.8 and 18.2% higher than that under control, respectively. Soil microbial biomass carbon was significantly higher under organic raised (177.9μgg−1 dry soil) and sunken beds (146.77μgg−1 dry soil) than that of other farming practices. Most of the quality parameters of tomato (lycopene content, total sugar, total soluble solids) and carrot (total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, beta carotene) were superior under organic farming followed by INF. Combining all these long-term results, the study strongly suggests several benefits of organic farming for sustainable productivity and improved soil and produce quality under eastern Himalayan condition.
•4-consecutive years results indicated that grain yield obtained with 2 spading+1 trampling+1 weeding (termed as minimum tillage-MT) was statistically at par with conventional tillage CT.•The weed ...biomass production was higher with MT than that under CT systems.•The amount of N, P and K recycled through rice straw was higher under CT, whereas, through weed biomass, it was higher under MT.•SOC, SMBC and dehydrogenase activity in MT were 5.7–13.3, 2.8–14.9 and 34.6–106.7%, respectively higher than CT.•The cost of cultivation increased with each increment in tillage. The net returns were higher with MT options.
Intensive tillage-based production systems along with residue removal, grazing and/or burning of crop residues/biomass and poor nutrient replenishment through inadequate fertilizer and manure use are the major causes of soil degradation and unsustainable agriculture in hills of North Eastern India. Thus, a 4-year study (2003–07) was conducted during rainy (wet) seasons at Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Research Complex for North Eastern Hill (NEH) Region, Umiam, India (950m a.s.l.). Objective of the study was to assess the effect of different tillage systems (individual or combinations of spading, trampling and hand weeding) on rice (Oryza sativa L.) productivity and soil (Typic Paleudalf) quality under in-situ residue management in lowland conditions. Transplanting in manually weeded unpuddled field was termed no-till (NT). In comparison, individual or combinations of spading, trampling (one partial manual puddling to incorporate weeds) and weeding was termed minimum tillage (MT). Treatment involving the maximum tillage included 4 spading+2 trampling+2 weedings, and was termed the conventional tillage (CT). The latter is practiced widely by farmers' in the region. Nine tillage treatments were laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) and replicated thrice in a fixed plot size of 5m×5m. Increasing tillage intensity (combinations of spading along with trampling and weeding) increased grain yields. Agronomic yields obtained with 2 spading+1 trampling+1 weeding (MT option) was statistically (p=0.05) similar to that under CT. In general, the weed biomass was more under NT and MT than CT, and also contributed 2–4, 0.8–2 and 0.78–1.9 times more N, P and K, respectively, towards nutrient recycling than that under CT. However, the amount of N, P and K recycled through rice straw was more under CT than MT and NT. Weed biomass played a major role as a nutrient source in MT systems and contributed towards yield stabilization and improvement in soil quality. The soil organic carbon (25.2g/kg), soil microbial biomass carbon (198.7μg/g dry soil) and dehydrogenase activity (25.84μg TPF/g dry soil) in NT were 11.5, 17 and 107%, respectively, more than those under CT. These parameters under MT systems were 6–13, 2–15 and 35–88%, respectively, more compared to those under CT. The bulk density (ρb) under CT (1.18Mg/m3) was significantly higher than those observed under MT systems of only one spading or one trampling (1.15Mg/m3). The net return was the highest with MT system comprising of 2 spading+1 trampling+2 weeding ($367.5/ha), and that was 25.5% higher than that with CT. The net return per dollar (NRP) invested decreased with increasing tillage intensity. In-situ rice residue retention along with weed biomass recycling (MT) for 4-years improved soil quality, reduced cost of production and stabilized productivity in a low-input marginal (marginal soil and small scale farmers) hill agriculture.
Rhizosphere microbiome significantly influences plant growth and productivity. Legume crops such as pea have often been used as a rotation crop along with rice cultivation in long-term conservation ...agriculture experiments in the acidic soils of the northeast region of India. It is essential to understand how the pea plant influences the soil communities and shapes its rhizosphere microbiome. It is also expected that the long-term application of nutrients and tillage practices may also have a lasting effect on the rhizosphere and soil communities. In this study, we estimated the bacterial communities by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of pea rhizosphere and bulk soils from a long-term experiment with multiple nutrient management practices and different tillage history. We also used Tax4Fun to predict the functions of bacterial communities. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to estimate the abundance of total bacterial and members of Firmicutes in the rhizosphere and bulk soils. The results showed that bacterial diversity was significantly higher in the rhizosphere in comparison to bulk soils. A higher abundance of Proteobacteria was recorded in the rhizosphere, whereas the bulk soils have higher proportions of Firmicutes. At the genus level, proportions of
Rhizobium
,
Pseudomonas
,
Pantoea
,
Nitrobacter
,
Enterobacter
, and
Sphingomonas
were significantly higher in the rhizosphere. At the same time,
Massilia
,
Paenibacillus
, and
Planomicrobium
were more abundant in the bulk soils. Higher abundance of genes reported for plant growth promotion and several other genes, including iron complex outer membrane receptor, cobalt-zinc-cadmium resistance, sigma-70 factor, and ribonuclease E, was predicted in the rhizosphere samples in comparison to bulk soils, indicating that the pea plants shape their rhizosphere microbiome, plausibly to meet its requirements for nutrient uptake and stress amelioration.
Developing an intensive sustainable model and feeding a rising population are worldwide challenges. The task is much more daunting in the North Eastern Himalayas, where, low productive maize (
)- ...fallow is the main production system in the upland. To increase farm productivity, nutritional security, and energy dietary returns while maintaining environmental sustainability and economic viability, short-duration crops must be included in the maize-fallow system.
A field study was conducted in sandy clay loam soil with a randomized complete block design with three replications for three continuous years (2018-2021) under organic management with two crop management practices,
, (i) conservation agriculture and (ii) conventional agriculture, and six crop diversification options,
, (i) maize-sweet corn (
)-vegetable pea (
) (M-SC-VP), (ii) maize-sweet corn-mustard (
) (M-SC-M), (iii) maize-sweet corn-lentil (
) (M-SC-L), (iv) maize-sweet corn-vegetable broad bean (
) (M-SC-VB), (v) maize (local)-vegetable pea (M-VP), and (vi) maize (local)-fallow (M-F).
The results showed that, the average system productivity was 5.3% lower for conventional agriculture than conservation agriculture. System carbohydrate, protein, fat, dietary fiber, and dietary energy were ~6.9, 6.8, 7.8, 6.7, and 7%, higher in conservation agriculture than in conventional agriculture, respectively. Similarly, system macronutrients (Ca, Mg, P, and K) and system micronutrients yield (Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) were, 5.2-8% and 6.9-7.4% higher in conservation agriculture than in conventional agriculture, respectively. On average, over the years, crop diversification with M-SC-VP/M-SC-VB intensive crop rotation had higher system productivity (158%), production efficiency (157%), net returns (benefit-cost ratio) (44%), and dietary net energy returns (16.6%) than the local maize-vegetable pea system. Similarly, the M-SC-VP/M-SC-VB system improved the nutritional security by improving Ca, Mg, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu yield by 35.5-135.7% than the local M-VP system.
Conservation agriculture with M-SC-VP/M-SC-VB rotation showed significantly (
< 0.05) higher productivity, carbohydrate yield, protein yield, fat yield, and dietary fiber production. It is concluded that conservation agriculture improved soil health and performed better than conventional agriculture in maize-based intensive cropping systems. Overall results indicate that crop diversification with M-SC-VP/M-SC-VB can potentially increase calorie and protein consumption and farm profitability.
Cultivation of pulses and oilseeds in north eastern region (NER) of India assumes greater significance in view of high deficits in production for nutritional security. A field experiment was ...conducted for two consecutive years 2013-14 and 2014-15 to study the possibility of growing three crops in a year in the valley land rice (Oryza sativa L) ecosystem by following conservation tillage and cultivation of short duration pulses/oilseed crops and to study their impact on system productivity, water use efficiency, net return and soil fertility. While, the average rice yield (4.78 t/ ha) was significantly higher under the rice-pea-greengram system, the system rice equivalent yield (13.61 t/ha) was the maximum under rice-pea-French bean followed by (12.55 t/ha) rice-pea-blackgram as compared to rice-fallow (4.64 t/ha) systems. Higher cultivated land utilization index was recorded under rice-lentil-greengram (0.97) and rice-lentilblackgram (0.93) than other systems. The highest net returns were realized under rice-pea-French bean (₹ 118392/ ha) followed by rice-pea-black gram system (₹ 110267/ha) over a low net returns (₹ 39040/ha) from rice-fallow. The soil organic carbon, available N and soil microbial properties were substantially enhanced due to inclusion of legumes in rice based system and the highest value of these properties were evident under rice-pea-greengram followed by rice-pea-blackgram systems. Thus, inclusion of short duration legumes like lentil and pea in winter season and green gram, blackgram or French bean in summer season under conservation tillage can enhance the cropping intensity to 300%, improve soil health and enhance system productivity and income by two to three times in NER.
Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important crop cultivated in jhum farming (shifting cultivation) practiced in north-east India. However, productivity of maize in jhum is very low due to use of local ...cultivars and poor management practices. A participatory field trial was conducted in 2015–16 and 2016–17 to assess the impact of high yielding varieties/ cultivars and improved management practices on maize productivity and soil fertility in farmer’s jhum field of Ri- Bhoi District, Meghalaya. Nine cultivars/varieties of maize (Improved cultivars/varieties: Hemant, Vijay Composite, Megha Maize 1, Megha Maize 2, RCM 1-1, RCM 1-3, RCM 75 and local cultivars: SaruTangring and SaruBhoi) were evaluated under improved agronomic management practices (IAMP) and farmers’ practice in a factorial randomized block design. Results revealed that number of seeds per cob, seed weight per cob and seed index were significantly higher under IAMP compared to that of farmers’ practice during both the years. The IAMP produced significantly higher grain and stover yields of maize than farmers’ practice. The maize variety Megha Maize 1 recorded significantly higher grain yield (3.15 and 2.92 t/ha in 2015–16 and 2016–17, respectively) than the rest of varieties/cultivars. The variety RCM 75 (7.13 t/ha) being at par with Megha maize 1 (6.83 t/ha) produced higher stover yield than others in year 2015–16. IAMP recorded significantly higher soil organic carbon, pH and available N, P, K over farmers’ practice after two years. Thus, the study recommends adoption of improved agronomic management practices and high yielding cultivars like Megha Maize 1 and RCM 75 for sustaining soil fertility and enhancing productivity of maize under jhum farming in the north eastern region (NER) of India.
Malnutrition continues to be a significant concern at unacceptably high levels globally. There is significant potential for addressing malnutrition of human population through the biofortification of ...climate-resilient vegetables using strategic breeding strategies. Lablab bean
(L.) Sweet, a underutilized nutrient-dense crop holds great potential in this aspect. Despite its advantageous nutritional profile, the production, research, and consumption of lablab bean are currently limited. Addressing these limitations and unlock the nutritional benefits of lablab beans needs to prioritized for fighting malnutrition in local inhabitants on a global scale.
Twenty five genotypes of lablab bean collected through exploration survey in Eastern India and were evaluated in 2020-2021. Among them, the nine highly diverse well adapted genotypes were again evaluated at the experimental farm of ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar, India in 2021-2022. Horticultural important traits of lablab bean were recorded by using the minimum descriptors developed by ICAR-NBPGR in New Delhi and biochemical analysis was done by using standard protocols. Genotypic and phenotypic correlation and path coefficient analysis was done used understand relationships, interdependencies, and causal pathways between different traits. The outcome was revalidated by using principal component analysis (PCA).
Descriptive statistics revealed substantial heterogeneity across the traits of lablab bean evaluated. Vitamin A content showed nearly a five-fold variation, Fe ranged from 5.97 to 10.5 mg/100 g, and Vitamin C varied from 4.61 to 9.45 mg/100 g. Earliness and dwarf growth was observed in RCPD-1 (60 cm) and early flowering (41 days). RCPD-3 and RCPD-12 had high pod yield due to their high number of pods and pod weight. Pod yield was significantly correlated with number of pod per plant (NPP) (
= 0.995) and with average pod weight (APW) (
= 0.882). A significant positive correlation was also found between protein and Zn content (
= 0.769). Path coefficient analysis revealed that average pod weight had the most direct positive effect on pod yield, followed by NPP and protein content. The reaction of lablab bean genotypes to collar rot disease was also evaluated and significant differences in disease intensity were observed among the genotypes, with the resistant check RCPD-15 exhibiting the lowest disease intensity.
The study highlights the substantial heterogeneity in lablab bean traits, particularly in nutritional components such as vitamin A, iron, and vitamin C concentrations. Early flowering and dwarf growth habit are desirable qualities for lablab bean, and certain genotypes were found to exhibit these traits. Positive correlations, both phenotypic and genotypic, existed among different traits, suggesting the potential for simultaneous improvement. Path coefficient and PCA revealed genotypes with high yield and nutritional traits. Finally, resistant and moderately resistant lablab bean genotypes to collar rot disease were identified. These findings contribute to the selection and breeding strategies for improving lablab bean production and nutritional value.
Introduction
Under a changing climate, the fragile ecosystems of the Eastern Himalayas (EH) are persistently challenged by prolonged dry spells and erratic rainfall. Identification of suitable ...high-yielding crops with higher moisture stress tolerance and adaptability is paramount for the region. Although the region received a good amount of rainfall in the rainy season, the winter months, viz., November to March, rarely received any rain. Even within the rainy season, there are several intermittent drought spells that hinder crop productivity.
Methods
The present study has used field and microcosm experiments to assess the year-round cultivation potential and extent of moisture stress tolerance in the lesser-known buckwheat crop of the region.
Results and discussion
Sowing of buckwheat from mid-September to mid-December produced better grain yield, the highest being when sowing in October (9.83 q ha
−1
) and the crop was found suitable to grow all through the year for higher green biomass (12.6–38.4 q ha
−1
). The moisture stress tolerance of buckwheat was significantly enhanced by increased total root length and root surface area by 12.4 and 34.7%, respectively. Increased photo-protective carotenoids, chlorophyll b, and favorable stomatal attributes with substantial epicuticular wax have significantly improved the moisture stress tolerance of Buckwheat. In addition, leaf proline was found 25.4% higher and total soluble protein, reducing sugar, and cell membrane stability were found 29.2, 38.1, and 36.5% lower compared to the control, respectively. A significantly lower rate of water loss (25.6%) with its stomatal and non-stomatal adaptations and versatile pollen structural traits under moisture stress over control, make the buckwheat crop potentially more stress tolerant and economical crop for EH of India.
Environmental pollution, resource dwindling, and soil degradation questioned the sustainability of contemporary agricultural production systems. Organic farming is advocated as a sustainable solution ...for ensuring food security without compromising environmental sustainability. However, poor farm productivity quizzed the sustainability of organic production systems. Hence, a field study was carried out in the Sikkim region of the Indian Himalayas to assess the efficacy of conservation-effective tilling and diversified cropping on system productivity, profitability, environmental quality, and soil nutrient balance in organic farming. Three tillage systems, namely, (i) conventional tillage (CT), (ii) reduced tillage (RT), and (iii) zero tillage (ZT), and four maize based diversified cropping systems (maize–black gram–toria, maize–black gram–buckwheat, maize–rajmash–toria, and maize–rajmash–buckwheat) were tested using a three times replicated split-plot design. The ZT system recorded 13.5 and 3.5% higher system productivity over CT and RT, respectively. Of the four diversified cropping systems, the maize–rajmash–buckwheat system recorded the maximum system productivity (13.99 Mg ha
−1
) and net returns (3,141 US$ ha
−1
) followed by the maize–black gram–buckwheat system. Among the tillage practices, ZT recorded the significantly high eco-efficiency index (EEI; 1.55 US$ per kg CO
2
-eq emission) and the lowest greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI; 0.15 kg CO
2
-eq per kg production). Of the diversified cropping systems, the maize-rajmash-buckwheat registered the lowest GHGI (0.14 CO
2
-eq per kg production) and the highest EEI (1.47 US$ per kg CO
2
-eq emission). Concerning soil nutrient balance, after three cropping cycles, the soil under ZT recorded significantly higher available N (340.0 kg ha
−1
), P (16.6 kg ha
−1
), and K (337.3 kg ha
−1
) over the CT system at 0–10 cm soil depth. Similarly, the soil under the maize–black gram–buckwheat system had the maximum bio-available NPK. Thus, the study suggests that the cultivation of the maize–black gram/rajmash–buckwheat systems under ZT and/or RT would increase farm productivity, profitability, and soil fertility with minimum GHGI in organic farming under the Eastern Himalayan region of India.
Introduction
Organic farming is a promising solution for mitigating environmental burdens related to input-intensive agricultural practices. The major challenge in organic agriculture is the ...non-availability of large quantities of organic inputs required for crop nutrition and sustaining soil health, which can be resolved by efficient recycling of the available on- and off-farm resources and the integration of the components as per the specific locations.
Methods
An integrated organic farming system (IOFS) model comprising agricultural and horticultural crops, rainwater harvesting units, livestock components, and provisions for nutrient recycling was developed and disseminated in the adopted organic villages Mynsain, Pynthor, and Umden Umbathiang in the Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya, India, to improve the income and livelihood of farmers. Harvested rainwater in farm ponds and
Jalkunds
was used for live-saving irrigation in the winter months and diversified homestead farming activities, such as growing high-value crops and rearing cattle, pigs, and poultry.
Results
Maize, french bean, potato, ginger, tomato, carrot, and chili yields in the IOFS model increased by 20%−30%, 40%−45%, 25%−30%, 33%−40%, 45%−50%, 37%−50%, and 27%−30%, respectively, compared with traditional practices. Some farmers produced vermicompost in vermibeds (made of high-density polyethylene) and cement brick chambers, generating 0.4−1.25 tons per annum. Two individual farmers, Mr. Jrill Makroh and Mrs. Skola Kurbah obtained net returns (without premium price) of Rs. 46,695 ± 418 and Rs. 31,102 ± 501 from their respective 0.27- and 0.21-ha IOFS models, which is equivalent to Rs. 172,944 ± 1,548/ha/year and Rs. 148,105 ± 2,385/ha/year, respectively. The net returns obtained from the IOFS models were significantly higher than those obtained from the farmers' practice of maize-fallow or cultivation of maize followed by vegetable (~30% of the areas). It is expected that, with the certification of organic products, the income and livelihood of the farmers will improve further over the years. While Mr. Jrill Makroh's model supplied 95.1%, 82.0%, and 96.0% of the total N, P
2
O
5
, and K
2
O, respectively, needed by the system, Mrs. Skola Kurbah's model supplied 76.0%, 68.6%, and 85.5% of the total N, P
2
O
5
, and K
2
O, respectively.
Discussion
Thus, IOFS models should be promoted among hill farmers so that they can efficiently recycle farm resources and increase their productivity, net returns, and livelihood while reducing their dependence on external farm inputs.
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